Direction-indicator.



R. MES-TEK. DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, I918. 9&3 Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

iirrnn RUDOLPH MESTEK, OF PIERCE, WEST VIRGINIA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Application filed August 19, 1918.

To all whom 1'1. may concern:

Be it known that I. Rooonrn liles'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pierce. county of Tucker. and State of \Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Direction-Indica- 1.ors.ot' which the tollowingds a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in street indicators as used upon railway vehicles for showing the location at which the car will neXt stop.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device which is ope 'ated indirectly by the motive power of the vehicle. and whi h visibly displays a Sign indicat ing the next stopping place.

This and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, Showing a conventional type of car and indicating the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the indicator, the cover plate being removed.

g- 4 s an end view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a verti al sectional view taken online 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken through one of the indicator rolls, and

Fig, 8 is a sectional view showing the details of the finger by which the ratchets are operated.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indu..-tes the flooring of a conventional type of car, the same being supported upon wheelsll engaged with the axles 12 as usual.

Attached centrally to one of the axles 12 is a spur gear 14, meshing with a mating gear 15 fixed upon a spindle 16, mounted in supports 17Land carrying spools 18 upon each side provided with flanges 19 upon which are wound wires 20.

These wires pass over guide pulleys 22 through the flooring 10 and extend upward through the car body to the indicator casing 25, having a removable cover plate 26, through which are formed elongated open- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1%, 191%. Serial No. 250.489.

lugs 27. normally covered by transparent plates 28, rearward of which are a pair of oppositely inclined. deflecting plates :25).

A pair of bosses '30 extend inwardly from one end oiithe casing 25 and substantially central between them is :1V similar boss 31.

llchl in the bosses 231). l) the set screws 313, are horizontal rods 33 and 35 respectively upper and lower. upon which are engaged disks 313 and 36, forming the ends of drums or rollers upon which is rolled a strip of fabric 38 hearing the names of streets or points at which the car makes stops.

The outer ends ol' the rods ii and 35 are rotatable within the hubs of the disks 35 which are driven by connections with stub spindles 3 and 335, on which are engaged ratchet wheels 3.9 and -10 adjacent to the disks 36', while upon the outer ends of the stub spindles. adjacent to the inner surface of the casing 25. opposite to the bosses 31). are other ratchels 41 and 12, their teeth being in an opposite direction, for purposes which will be hereinafter described.

Mounted in the central base 31 is a spindle 44 extending into the boss 45 formed with the opp0sit e end of the casing, and fixed uponthe spindle 44 is a grooved pul ley 47 over which the'fiexible wires 20mako contact. the bight ol' the wire passing over the pulley L8, freely pivoted within the easing as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

Fixed upon the spindle 44, adjacent to the pulley 47, are eccentrics 49 and 50 from the former of which extends a pawl 51 passing through an adjustable guide 53 and held normally in contact with the teeth of the ratchet 3!) by the plate spring 61.

Extending in the opposite direction from the cam 50 is a similar pawl 52, guildcd in the adjustable bracket 54, normally pressed forward by the plate spring (32. The brackets and 54 are attached to the ends of the levers 57 and 58 by stems 55 and 56 through wall of the casing and provided with handles by.which they may be operated.

Thus as the wire 20 mov es intermittently in one direction it will cause the pawls 51 and 52 to be engaged with lhe ratrhet wheels 39 an d 10,according to the position of the "lovers 57 and 58.

Communicating rotary motion to the disks 36 causes the rollers to rotate upon the rods 33 and 35, which are held tensionally against rotation, due to the effect of coiled torsional springs 63, within the tubular centers 64 of the rollers. one end of the springs being se'cured'to the disk 36, and the other end to collars 65 rigidl secured to the rods.

In order to prevent the rollers from operating-in a direction reverse to that desired, otherpawls 70 and 71 are carried on stems extending through the end of the casing and -operatively engaged with levers 59 and 58, provided with extending handles, the pawls being engageable with the ratchet wheels all and 42 respectively, the same being fixed on the ends of the stubs 33' and In operation when the car is moved in one direction motion will be tanslnitted by the axle, through-the gears, and due to the frictional engagement of the flexible wire Q0, the cam spindle 44 will be rotated, which moves the pawls into engagement with the ratchets, causing either of the stubs 33' or 35 to rotate, and it Will be evident thatby properly positioning the handles extending from the end of the casing, that the strip may be moved in either direction at will and prevented from reverse action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

In a direction indicator, the combination with a rectangular casing having an opening through one of its outer sides, a pair of rods mounted longitudinally in said casing, a s'haft-rotatably mounted midway between said rods, a pulley on said shaft, a flexible wire engaging with said pulley means combined with the vehicle for operating said flexible wire when the vehicle is moving,

rollers on said rods, a strip of fabric wound signature.

' RUDOLPH MES'Twrr 

